Editing Normal, Illinois (section)

===Theatre===
[[File:Normal Theater, Normal, IL.jpg|thumb|[[Normal Theater]]]]

[[Normal Theater]] opened in 1937 and was the first theater in Bloomington-Normal built specifically for sound films. The strong [[art-deco]] design was, at the time, very avant-garde for a small Illinois town. The Normal Theater has been completely restored to its original condition. In addition to showing classic movies and independent films, the theater is used for a variety of activities including group outings, meetings and other events where assembly seating is required.<ref>{{cite web |first=Rachael |last=Mellen |url=http://www.normaltheater.com |title=Normal Theater, IL - Official Website |publisher=Normaltheater.com |access-date=July 17, 2012 |archive-date=February 5, 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120205221506/http://www.normaltheater.com/ |url-status=live }}</ref>

Braden Auditorium, located inside [[Illinois State University]]'s Bone Student Center, serves as the hub of student life at ISU and a landmark resource to the Bloomington-Normal community. The Auditorium seats 3,457. Eight to ten annual shows feature a variety of [[Broadway theatre|Broadway]] musicals, pop and country stars, touring variety shows, comedians and big name performers.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.bsc.ilstu.edu/ |title=Bone Student Center: Illinois State University |publisher=Bsc.ilstu.edu |access-date=July 17, 2012 |archive-date=May 2, 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120502092718/http://www.bsc.ilstu.edu/ |url-status=live }}</ref>

The Town of Normal Parks and Recreation Department's "Normal Summer Music Theatre" program celebrated its 40th season in 2011. This program invites students in grades 8–12 to perform in two different productions each summer at the Connie Link Amphitheater.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.normalsummertheatre.com/ |title=Normal Parks and Recreation Summer Music Theatre |publisher=Normalsummertheatre.com |access-date=July 17, 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120322100504/http://www.normalsummertheatre.com/ |archive-date=March 22, 2012 |url-status=dead }}</ref>

Heartland Theatre Company performs a number of plays every season. Heartland's Annual 10-Minute Play Festival attracts playwrights from all over the country and their "New Plays from the Heartland" Midwest One-Act Play Competition allows winning playwrights from eight Midwest states to share their original works with audiences.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.heartlandtheatre.org/ |title=Heartland Theatre Company &#124; Think. Feel. Live! |publisher=Heartlandtheatre.org |access-date=July 17, 2012 |archive-date=March 7, 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120307215545/http://www.heartlandtheatre.org/ |url-status=live }}</ref>

The Illinois State University Center for the Performing Arts provides the ISU campus and greater Central Illinois community with a wide variety of cultural activities. More than 20,000 people attend annual performances produced by the Illinois State University Schools of Music and Theatre in the center and all performances are open to the public.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.cfa.ilstu.edu/ |title=College of Fine Arts – Illinois State University |publisher=Cfa.ilstu.edu |access-date=July 17, 2012 |archive-date=December 13, 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111213165737/http://www.cfa.ilstu.edu/ |url-status=live }}</ref>

The Prairie Fire Theatre is a not-for-profit organization, incorporated in 1998. All events are performed and directed by local talent, drawing from a largely untapped but highly skilled pool of professional artists.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.prairiefiretheatre.org/ |title=Prairie Fire Theatre |publisher=Prairie Fire Theatre |date=May 8, 2014 |access-date=August 10, 2014 |archive-date=August 12, 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140812210340/http://www.prairiefiretheatre.org/ |url-status=live }}</ref>